Shingle Roofing
How is it that some shingles last only 7-8 years and start to see substantial granular loss and others last 20 years? We won't mention the manufacturers at the bottom of the list, but know that not all shingles are created equal. Don't be fooled by slick TV commercials and animated mascots.
Most shingles are made from oxidized asphalt. Imagine asphalt that is on the road surface. It dries out and it cracks. Eventually, it crumbles and has to be tore out and replaced. The same thing happens on your roof. The granules are pressed into the asphalt primarily to keep them from sticking together in the bundle and have a protective wear layer on the roof. Unfortunately, they tend to come off and end up in your gutter and not on your roof.
Over time, the asphalt shingle continues to dry out. It gets hit by hail or wind and it is easily damaged, leading to an insurance claim. The lower performing asphalt shingles are often promoted by roofing companies because they know they will have repeat business every 15 years or sooner if there's a storm.
There is a better way...The Modern Way.
Imagine a shingle that is made with polymer-modified rubber. In fact, the average roof may have 3-5 recycled tires and 2,200-2,500 plastic grocery bags used in the production process. These additives help with saving the environment, but they also keep the shingle pliable so they withstand hail and wind much better than any other shingle on the market.
Imagine embedding the granules into the rubber to increase granular retention. This makes the shingle last longer.
Imagine having copper granules on every shingle that kills the algae that causes those black streaks you see on so many roofs. How about 3M Smog-reducing granules that help with the environment?
If you want a premium shingle roof that will withstand hail and wind and will outlast most every competitor, then you've come to the right place.
Get Malarkey Shingles Now!
Metal Roofing
Most folks consider metal roofing because they believe it will outlast shingle roofs. There may be some truth to that, but metal roofs work well on some structures, architecturally, but not all of them. We would encourage you to look at our Ultimate Roof as a long-life Class 4 shingle roof alternative to a metal roof.
When choosing a metal roof, look at the thickness of the metal. This is measured in gauge thickness. Roofing often comes in 24 to 29 gauge steel. The smaller the gauge thickness, the thicker the steel.
The next thing to consider is how to fasten the roof material. Some metal roofs have exposed fasteners that just screw the roof panel to the decking or the framing. Those screws have neoprene washer that will often dry rot and crack over time. The metal will move back and forth and loosen the screws. Maintenance at maybe 10 year intervals should be considered to to replace the screws with any that are dry rotting or loose.
Another kind of fastening system is to have hidden fasteners, which many would know as a Standing Seam Metal Roof. The easiest standing seam would be a snap-lock system that allows you to screw a hidden clip to the roof deck on the leading edge of the metal panel. The next panel then snaps down over the top of the previous piece and hides the fastener system. Since there are no exposed fasteners, the look is cleaner and there's less chance for leaks.
The third metal roofing system is metal shingles in lieu of straight metal panels. These can emulate the look of slate or other roofing materials, but give you the long life of metal.
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